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April 29, 2011

G25: Mariners 5, Red Sox 4

Matsuzaka (4-3-3-4-4, 82) was taken out of the game one batter into the fifth inning in what was later called a precautionary move because of right elbow stiffness. While facing Ichiro Suzuki, Dice's fastball dropped to about 85 and Jason Varitek was quick to call out Terry Francona and trainer Mike Reinold.

In the seventh, with Boston up 4-3, Bobby Jenks allowed a single to Ichiro and a double to Chone Figgins. Jenks struck out Milton Bradley, but the tying run scored on Miguel Olivo's grounder to second. After Jenks walked Justin Smoak, he gave up an RBI double to Jack Cust.

In Jenks's last six outings, covering 4.1 innings, he has given up nine runs and 12 hits. His ERA over that period (18.69) looks almost as bad as the dead rodent he has chosen to glue to his chin, but Francona's irregular usage patterns have not done him any favours. Jenks pitched in three straight games out west (throwing 60 pitches on April 20-21-22), then sat on his ass for a week before working tonight.

Jed Lowrie nearly tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but his fly ball to deep center was pushed back by the wind and caught by Michael Saunders. If it had been hit a little bit further towards right field, it might have landed in the bullpen.

Mike Cameron hit two solo home runs, one down the right field line and one over the Wall. Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz had RBI singles in the third. Adrian Gonzalez is looking better and better at the plate. He singled in his first two trips, then grounded out to first (Smoak ranged far to his right to rob AG of a hit) and lined out to right.

Matsuzaka makes his third start since his awful outing on April 11 against the Rays. In two starts against the Blue Jays and Angels, Dice has pitched 15 shutout innings, allowing only two hits and four walks. Here are the number of batters faced in each inning of those starts:

0418 vs TOR - 443 333 3
0423 at LAA - 353 434 33

The Mariners are in last place in the AL West, 11-15 and 4.5 GB the Rangers. They have the worst team batting average in the American League (.235)*, the second-worst slugging percentage (.344), and are 9th in on-base percentage (.314). However, they are second in walks (101), one fewer than the league-leading Red Sox. Seattle has allowed 4.54 runs per game, 9th in the AL; Boston is 8th with 4.42.

* Did you know the Padres are batting .208 as a team? Only one of their regulars is batting over .238. In the last seven games, San Diego is hitting .174/.237/.248/.485. It's like an entire team of Saltalamacchias (.191/.255/.234/.489).

very nice camerawork from RF showing kennedy moving to his left with the pitch, and then not being able to get way over to his right to snag flo's hit. good stuiff from gammo on vargas maybe not getting the ball inside as much as he should have.

Globe: "After giving up a lead-off single to Ichiro in the fifth, Matsuzaka has departed the game because of an unknown injury. Manager Terry Francona, trainer Mike Reinold and assistant trainer Masai Takahashi rushed out to the mound to huddle with Matsuzaka and catcher Jason Varitek."

Couldn't the GG appoint a new PM for a year if Harper is voted out by Parliament a second time?

No. But if he gets a minority govt and brings his budget and they again vote it down, the 3 parties could ask the GG if they can form a coalition govt (I think).

I believe that's correct.

To my knowledge, the GG cannot appoint a PM. But the GG can ask the parties to find another way to govern.

This may have been said already, I didn't go thru the whole thread, but the party that wins the most seats does not automatically win the right to form a government. That party wins the right to try to gain the confidence of the HoC.

Looked into the earlobe thing, and though I hate to credit Kay for anything, I found this line:

Michael Kay, over a YES close-up of Jays pitcher Brandon League, said, "I see he has earring holders [plugs] in his ear lobes so the holes for his earrings don't close up. I think Babe Ruth did that, too."

Was timing the commercials tonight. Sometimes it was 2:40 or more from pitch to pitch, sometimes it was 2:15. It was set up differently tonight from last night, though, as almost every inning led off with Don reading an ad--so they were almost always back with a solid 20 seconds to spare before the pitch for Don to read the 15 second copy. I'm wondering if this is the weekend format? Will have to check next week during the week to compare.